Laguna Niguel Presbyterian Church
Laguna Niguel, CA
Led by
Pastor Jim Szeyller
Local Guides
Canon Iyad Qumri and Rami Qumri
Proposed Itinerary
16-Day Pilgrimage
October 29 - November 12, 2022
Updated on October 16, 2021
Oct 30-Nov 2 Saint George’s Guest House
Nov 2-6 Sisters of Nazareth
Nov 6-12 Saint George’s Guest House
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 29, DAY 1: DEPART USA
On our way to the Holy Land
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30, DAY 2: ARRIVE BEN GURION AIRPORT / TRANSFER TO JERUSALEM
Arrival to Tel Aviv, you will be met by your guide, Canon Iyad Qumri, transfer to our
accommodation in Jerusalem.
Dinner and overnight at Saint George’s Guest House
Nablus Road 20, POB. 19018, Jerusalem 91190
++972 2-6283302
MONDAY, OCTOBER 31, DAY 3: HORIZONS OF JERUSALEM / ISRAEL MUSEUM
Introductions, walk down to Damascus Gate to get the feel for the distance and our surrounding. We will drive to Mt. Scopus where we will look at the different dramatic settings of the Scripture.
Lunch. Israel Museum and the Shrine of the Book, where the Dead Sea Scrolls are housed. We will also visit a scale model of the Old City of Jerusalem, describing the city as it would have been during Jesus’ time.
Dinner and overnight at Saint George’s Guest House
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, DAY 4: SHEPHERD’S FIELD / BETHLEHEM
We depart Jerusalem for Bethlehem and the Shepherds’ Field, visit a 1st century cave dwelling, Lunch is in Beit Sahour (Shepherds’ Field), ‘And in that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night’, Church of the Nativity located in Manger Square. It is the oldest church in Christendom, constructed by Constantine in AD 326 and the traditional site of the Nativity.
Dinner and overnight at Saint George’s Guest House
Guest Speaker: Contemporary Issues – A Palestinian Perspective
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, Day 5: CAESAREA MARATIMA / MT. CARMEL / NAZARETH
Depart for Caesarea Maratima, a seaport on the Mediterranean Sea, this was built by Herod the Great, we visit the Crusaders fortifications, the Roman aqueduct and amphitheater. Mount Carmel is also the mountain of the Prophet Elijah. Lunch, in Nazareth. In Nazareth we will visit Mary’s Well, the site of the only spring-fed fountain in the city, and most likely the place where Mary would have gone to draw water. We then visit the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation where we will have an opportunity to have an introduction to the Icon, we then follow on foot the path to the Latin Church of the Annunciation, the traditional site of the Angel Gabriel’s appearance to Mary, telling her she would conceive Jesus, the Emmanuel.
Dinner and Overnight at the Sisters of Nazareth
Tel: 972-4-6554304
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, DAY 6: SEPPHORIS / CAESAREA PHILIPPI
Sepphoris, where we explore the excavations of the Roman / Byzantine city, the capital of Galilee at the time of Jesus. Lunch, depart for Caesarea Philippi (Banias)‘ And Jesus went on with his disciples, to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, “ Who do men say that I am ?
Dinner and overnight at Sisters of Nazareth
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, DAY 7: JORDAN RIVER / CAPERNAUM / BEATITUDES / TABGHA
Today we depart for the Sea of Galilee-Lake Kinnereth. Stop at the Jordan River for the renewal of Baptismal vows, Boat ride on the Sea of Galilee, we then visit Capernaum where we see the Ancient Synagogue and St. Peter’s House. We continue to the Mount of Beatitudes, Lunch, visit to Tabgha (Heptapegon), The Loaves and Fishes Church and the Chapel of St. Peter’s Primacy.
Dinner and Overnight at the Sisters of Nazareth
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5, DAY 8: CHRIST CHURCH
Sunday morning Eucharist at Christ Church in Nazareth, meet with Fr. Nael Abu Rahmoun, Lunch. FREE AFTERNOON
Dinner and Overnight at the Sisters of Nazareth
A treat you will not want to miss!!!!
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6, DAY 9: BURQIN / NABLUS / TAYBEH
Depart for Burqin. Jesus had passed through Burqin on his way to Jerusalem from Nazareth, and as he was passing by the village he heard cries for help from ten lepers who were isolated in quarantine in a cave, Nablus to visit (St. Photini the Greek Orthodox Monastery), St. Photini lived in first century Palestine, she was the Samaritan woman who Christ visited at the well asking her for water, the church built over Jacob’s well where will tour the church and drink from the Well, Lunch in Taybeh, visit Taybeh, the only 100% Christian town in the Palestinian Authority, in the fourth century the Emperor Constantine and his mother St. Helena built the church of St. George in the village, the ruins of the Church are still found on a hill in the town. Taybeh is also the home of the only Palestinian brewery in the Middle East.
Dinner and overnight at Saint George’s Guest House
Guest Speaker: Contemporary Issues – An Israeli Perspective
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 7, DAY 10: BEER SHEVA / HEBRON / EIN KEREM
Beer Sheva, the capital of the Negev desert, an ancient city dating from Biblical times. Then we drive to Hebron, Hebron is mentioned in the Bible as the home of Abraham and the burial place of the Biblical patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their wives. Lunch. Depart to Ein Karem (‘spring of the vineyard’)—a quaint town noted as the birthplace of John the Baptist. The Church of St. John is built over the traditional site of John’s birthplace. The Church of the Visitation marks the traditional visit of Mary to Elizabeth (Luke 1: 26-40).
Dinner and overnight at Saint George’s Guest House
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, DAY 11: FREE DAY
A free day to shop, revisit favorite sites in Jerusalem or to visit Masada, a fortified palace of Herod the Great which saw heavy fighting between Jewish rebels and Roman soldier’s in 73 A.D. You may also wish to visit Yad Vashem site of the Holocaust Memorial, David’s Citadel and David’s Tower.
Dinner and overnight at Saint George’s Guest House
Guest Speaker: Lecture on Islam
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, DAY 12: WESTERN WALL / DOME OF THE ROCK / OLD CITY / CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHER
We depart for the Western Wall near Elharam Esh Sharif (The Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque), St. Anne’s Church and the pools of Bethesda. Lunch. Walk the Cardo to the Constantinian Entrance to the Church of the Resurrection to the Holy Sepulcher.
Dinner and overnight at Saint George’s Guest House
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, DAY 13: JUDEAN DESERT / MASADA / DEAD SEA / QUMRAN
Wadi Qelt early morning to watch the sunrise also get the feel for the desert. Drive south to Masada to see the ruins of the fortress where from 70-73 A.D. Jewish defenders made the last stand against the Roman army. Lunch. Dead Sea, where you will have the option to swim – or really, float (Rocky Beach). Depart for Qumran Visit the site of the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Dinner at the Qumris
Overnight at Saint George’s Guest House
For More Information
please contact our coordinator:
Pastor Jim Szeyller
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11, DAY 14: BETH-PHAGE / DOMINUS FLEVIT / GETHSEMANE
Depart for Beth-phage and Mt. of Olives walk down the Palm Sunday Road ending at the Garden of Gethsemane. Lunch. Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu, this church was built over the palace of the High Priest Caiaphas, where Peter denied Jesus three times.
Dinner and overnight at Saint George’s Guest House
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, DAY 15: WAY OF THE CROSS / EMMAUS
Stations of the Cross, Silent reflections at the Empty Tomb, later in the morning we will depart for Emmaus Nicopolis. We celebrate the Eucharist at the ruins of the Byzantine Church. Lunch. FREE AFTERNOON
Transfer to Ben Gurion Airport
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 13, DAY 16:
Back to USA
